i think the temperatures will continue to fall. it could get a little colder. 48 downtown. we will be tracking the temperatures through the morning. upper 40's and low 50's this afternoon. then the clouds will come back this afternoon. it is above normal. details in the seven-day forecast. >> we are starting out with several problem spots including at the fort mchenry. there is a disabled vehicle in the right tube. there is a problem northbound on the j.f.x. just past coldspring lane.

stay to the right and you should be ok. a closure of the northbound harrisburg expressway. all lanes are closed in the northbound direction past belfast. all lanes are closed at route 99 in ellicott city. great shape on the southbound b- w parkway, 55 miles per hour. traffic is flowing well on 95 out of white marsh. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> education week magazine has named maryland the number 1 school system in the country for the fifth year in a row. >> maryland received a final

overall grade of b-plus, the best in the nation. >> we are delighted that maryland has been identified as number one. >> judy is in charge about what students are learning across the state. she says there's enough credit to go around. >> stakeholders have worked together to make this the number 1 school system in the country for the fifth year in a row. >> would you say there's room for improvement? >> the work is not done. eliminating the achievement gap. every parent and educator and child deserves to have the best

school in his or her community. >> maryland receives nothing more than a b grade in the categories. how tough is it to remain number 1? >> we're committed to making sure the children of maryland have the best education. can we say we will always be number one? of course not. >> tim tooten, wbal-tv 11 news. >> tim will have more tonight at 5:00 p.m. schools no longer in session for 1000 students in maryland. >> jennifer franciotti has the details. >> the students are sleeping in

this morning. they came to class yesterday not knowing their school would be shut down. this is how they learned their school had been shut down. it is private trade school. they abruptly closed. the school has branches in colombia and silver spring as well as other states across the country. 1200 maryland students were enrolled. >> we here are committed to insuring that they complete the training that they intended to complete when they enrolled. it is important they get the skills they need to get the jobs they need. >> they will be working with the

students to find them a new place to go. anyone who paid out of pocket will be reimbursed from a fund they were required to pay into. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> police are trying to determine how two cars collided downtown last night. the accident happened just before 10:00 p.m. last night. two people were hurt in the crash. one person was injured. a tractor-trailer accident causes part of the beltway too close for the second night in a row. this was around 10:00 p.m. on the outer loop of the beltway. the road opened about two hours

ago. that accident comes 24 hours after a similar accident on the north side of the beltway. there was a driver cutting across several lanes to try to make an exit. the suv was dragged all the way into the outer loop lanes. >> a woman faces charges after leading officers on a pursuit. we have exclusive video of the pursuit wednesday afternoon. detectives interrupted a drug transition. police say alycia hoffman took off in her car hitting two officers in the process. >> we were in constant

communication with baltimore county. there was a public safety risk to continue. >> the chase ended when police say alycia hoffman collided with a patrol car. >> 5:07. 44 degrees at the airport. there is growing concern about the flu outbreaks. >> this is a ward season in hollywood -- this is award season in hollywood. >> there are problems on the roads this morning. oh!

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>> welcome back to 11 news today. 5:10. 48 degrees downtown. clouds hanging over the essential part of maryland. many of you starting off in the 40's right now. it is 43 at the airport. 39 in randallstown. expect some clearing this morning. we will see sunshine and increasing clouds. a high of 51 degrees. warmer conditions going into the weekend.

>> jerry sandusky returns to court this morning. there will be a hearing in pennsylvania. his lawyers argue they were overwhelmed with prosecution materials. he maintains his innocence and is pursuing appeals. the u.s. is experiencing a flu problem. experts warn we have not reached the peak yet. boston has declared a state of emergency. >> nominations for this year's academy awards will be announced later this morning.

some of the movies may be "argo," directed by ben affleck. "zero dark thirty." the nominations will be read live on the "today" show. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think was the best motion picture of 2012? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> i'm surprised "lincoln" is in on there. now it is all about the tablet. >> new technology is taking over the world. helping to prolong your actual age.

>> is your employer doing everything it can to prepare for this season's flu? that is coming up in the bloomberg business report. >> the harrisburg expressway is still closed in the northbound direction. share everything.

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>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. it is a busy morning rush. we are dealing with two

accidents. there isn't overturned tractor trailer in the northbound lanes of 83. southbound traffic moving well down to the beltway. route 99 is closed in ellicott city. you'll find delays in that area. there was a disabled vehicle at the fort mchenry. a smooth ride from the white marsh area down to the fort mchenry. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. good morning. >> we have three diversions. the number 5 bus is diverting for construction. the number 7 bus is diverting for construction. 51 blessed is diverting at pulaski and windsor -- the 51

bus is diverting at pulaski and windsor. >> thank you. temperatures are pretty mild to start out the day. .any areas are in the 40's 32 in edgewood. a cold front continues to spread over the area. temperatures will be falling today. bring a jacket to school. clouds helped to hold down -- held up the temperatures. we will see more clouds going into the afternoon. a little bit of sunshine through the midmorning. the wind 5 to 10 miles per hour.

we will see a slightly cooler temperatures. this is the tail end of a cold front. we're still seeing a push of clouds early this morning. expect some clearing through the mid morning. we will see increasing clouds into the afternoon. rain across kentucky. moisture from the gulf. this is extremely heavy rain. these areas could always use some rain. they are getting so much rain so fast. storm leading up into the ohio valley. we will see a touch of some

rain. then we will see the storm track over the mid atlantic. 51 into the afternoon. saturday looks dry. then the rain chances increase. >> experts say tablets are expected to outsell computers by more than 30 million units. to theent's have access markets -- more brands have access to the markets. new technology for many people makes their lives easier. a new wave is on display at the

consumer electronics show in las vegas. >> technology and health have always been intertwined. more ways than ever for consumers to take health and tech into their own hands. >> they are motivating people to live healthier lives. it is growing quickly. >> this year there is a line of personal fitness monitors. there are more company. some are aimed at specific health problems. >> anybody with a smartphone can measure their blood sugar. >> others are aimed at a

healthier lifestyle overall. >> this looks at your bmi and much more. >> integrating the traditional tools for key metrics like blood pressure with the new gadgets available to most consumers today. >> new mortgage rules designed to protect banks and consumers will be unveiled today. jane king has the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. insurance companies are bracing for elevated costs from this season's flu. the tough jobs environment may be making the situation worse. people are so concerned about

being fired that they are going to work even when they are sick. company should install buffers and sanitized keyboards and to limit meetings. new rules designed to make sure borrowers can afford to make payments. the rules go into effect next year. walmart is sending a representative to today's gun control talks after all. they say they are engaged about responsible fire arms sales. "50 shades of gray" is coming out in hardcover. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king, bloomberg news, for wbal-tv 11 news. >> 5:22.

44 degrees at the airport. we are getting closer to kick off between the ravens and the broncos. here you go little man.

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>> ray lewis is going to finish this season and get his ring. >> i want to let them know we're behind them 100 %. >> there was a stop been white marsh. dozens of fans showed their purple pride. get ready for some sticker shock.

>> a round-trip ticket on southwest will cost you a little more than $800 a person. there are still more than 4000 tickets available on stubhub. if you want to be close to the field, seats can cost up to $1,000. you can watch a special "ravens report." it will have ray lewis' speeches. it will be tomorrow night at 7:30. old.t is going to be ca 5:26. >> hundred of students without a place to learn after their trade

school suddenly closes. >> more shakeups to the president's cabinet. who is in and who is out. >> the air gets thinner at the higher you go up. he might pass out. we are watching a few clouds this morning. >> kind of a busy start to your thursday morning commute. we're watching an acc

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 5:00 a.m. >> good morning.

welcome back to 11 news today. i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. pretty mild this morning. >> it is not that bad. we have clouds hanging around. temperatures in the 40's right now. i think the temperatures will continue to fall. 43 at the airport with mostly cloudy skies. 40 in sykesville. towards pennsylvania, the temperatures are in the 30's. we expect upper 30's to low 40's with clearing skies. even warmer this wkend. we have some 60's in the seven- day forecast. >> you might want to stay under the covers.

we have a couple of problems. northbound 83 remains closed. there isn't overturned tractor trailer. -- there is an overturned tractor trailer. route 99 in shutdown in ellicott city. there is a downed pole with that. northbound 95, word of another disabled vehicle. southbound traffic looking good down to the fort mchenry. up to speed on the north side. looking good on 70 towards the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> education week magazine has

ranked maryland as the number 1 school system in the nation for the fifth straight year. >> more than 1000 students no longer have a school of this morning. jennifer franciotti is live to explain. >> a school in maryland has three branches in south baltimore and in colombia and silver spring. students found out their school is closed. >> we a students that were working hard in our careers, working hard for our education. we came to school to get this. >> this was a letter that was posted on the front door on wednesday as students were heading to class informing them that the private trade school was shutting down.

>> i was really learning and getting into the class. to have it stopped suddenly is frustrating. >> the school has branches in columbia and in silver spring. 1200 maryland students were enrolled in courses. the higher education commission monitors the financial records. >> information which typically signal whether there were any problems. we did not see any of that. >> what happens to the students? there will organize transfers to similar trade schools without losing their credits or records. >> we here are committed to ensuring that they complete the training that they intended to complete when they enrolled. it is important they get the skills they need to get the jobs

they need. >> students can also be reimbursed their tuition. students who paid out of pocket will be reimbursed from a trust fund which they were required to pay into. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11 news. >> there will be a public hearing about the budgets for fiscal year 2013. there will be a petition asking to push back the start time for schools. public high schools currently start at 7:17 in the morning. so for the petition has more than 2200 signatures. more than 200 maryland school teachers are now national board

certified. anne arundel county has 45 new board certified teachers. completing the program is the equivalent for the bar exam for lawyers. >> president obama is expected to make more changes to his top advisers. he could announce his pick for treasury. hallie jackson joins us live with the latest. what name is being floated as the favorite? >> you can take the bet on

jack lew to a takeover for timothy geithner error. known as a tough negotiator. held the soleilda solis is step. no word on who will replace her. as for jack lew, he will not have a tough time getting through the confirmation process if he does get the nod from the president. he is getting some grief about his signature. that is it. this will be on dollar bills if he becomes the new secretary of

treasury. tim geithner ended up working on his signature because a lot of people will see it. >> so lew has to tone down the loops. here come the jokes. hallie jackson, thank you. >> i like a loopy signature. 5:37. some kids spend a lot of time in front of the tv and computer. don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think was the best motion picture of 2012? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> northbound 83 is still closed

up to the belfast exit.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 5:40. 48 degrees downtown. we have a few clouds in place over the city. temperatures are falling up to the north but mild across the metro area. 43 across the bay in chestertown. we have some colder air moving in from the north. temperatures will fall over the next couple of hours.

high temp rouge today near 50 degrees -- high temperatures today near 50 degrees. >> fluency in two languages might help as you age. >> people said they were bilingual. they scored about the same. when they had to switch between intuitive task, bilingual people were faster. people who speak two languages can be better mental jugglers. >> some video games are a good thing according to a new study. the energy that cakids use was

compared. it was not the case for middle schoolers, especially older girls. >> 5:42. 44 degrees at the airport. holding a job at the white house is no laughing matter. >> a preview of "1600 penn." >> we are in for a warmup.

>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. date.'s bring you up to it is a busy morning rush. route 99 a shutdown in ellicott

city. you may want to avoid it from woodstock over to bethany lane. that is due to an accident. it is just a mess. take 70 as your alternate. 63 prior to the beltway. an overnight tractor-trailer accident northbound 83 remains closed between belfast and mount carmel. take york as your alternate. checking on the tunnels, everything looks good. 95 out of the northeast looks great. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. dave allen has the latest on the mta. >> the number 5 bus is diverting

at druid hill and north avenue. the number 51 bus is diverting at pulaski and windsor. on time service for the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. now here is ava marie. >> we did have a cold front move through yesterday. some of you saw some sprinkles. the wind is 6 miles per hour at the airport. some stronger winds this morning behind the front. temperatures will be calling down through the morning hours. 36 in parkton. 32 in edgewood. 43 degrees at the airport. 48 downtown at the inner harbor.

these temperatures should be falling as the wind kicks than. a lot of clout to start. increasing clouds this afternoon. we expect the wind to be 5 to 10 miles per hour. a cold front positions over the central part of maryland. the clout helped to insulate the sky -- the clouds helped to insulate the sky. look at this powerful storm system in louisiana. that will be tracking into the north and east. we are talking extremely heavy rain. flooding is going to be a concern.

that moisture will be moving north and east. we will be tracking those storms into next week. the coldest of the air will be in denver, colorado. old for the game. 60 degrees this weekend. there is a chance for scattered showers. >> the return of new episodes on thursday night have arrived. >> "1600 penn." we have a preview of the new show. >> bill pullman is not just the president. he is a dad.

>> what is the bigger challenge? >> domestic consensus is impossible. >> making it harder is his older son. well intentioned mayhem. >> he is one of my favorite children. his potential is some of the largest potential. >> "the book of mormon" star plays skip. >> these people need me. >> on a learning curve is the first lady. iraqi stepmom -- a rookie stepmom.

>> that skills that does not apply as a stepmother. >> the first lady and daughter left their microphones on. >> there is something to this idea of an everyday family watching this and imagining themselves in this circumstance. >> living at this most famous address. >> here's a look at tonight's prime time lineup. a new episode of "the office" 9:00.irs at >> a better write that down. ok, i got it. >> i will send you a text.

the opening round of playoffs for the ravens. >> it seems everybody outside of baltimore is counting them out. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

>> good morning. we begin with college basketball and the first loss for a maryland since the first game of the year. the terps lose to florida state. they were leading by 12 in the first half. maryland had won 30 straight coming in. the terps by nine at the break. a huge play with one second left in the half. second half, watch the effort inside. he refuses to quit. he found it gets it to go.

that it gives florida state the lead. this cuts the lead to one. he misses a crucial free throw. that keeps the game open. maryland has a chance to tie. that shot is blocked. merrill i-- maryland is 1-1 in the acc. the tigers are playing well. william and mary in the green. towson refuses to quit. this is a tough play. the tigers are down two. towson winds hit in double overtime. their first four game win streak

in 12 years. the ravens is getting ready for saturday's playoff game. into a lock and the colts did not score a touchdown last week -- andrew luck and the colts didn't score a touchdown last week. peyton manning missed all of last year. ray lewis can relate. he missed half of this year. ony dungy say thatben he likes the colts. everybody has an opinion. the game has to be played. you have to play the game on sunday. that's the way we feel.

whoever wins, some people will be right and some will be wrong. >> a special playoff edition of "ravens report" friday night at 7:30. no one elected to baseball's hall of fame yesterday. >> we will be right back.

>> another top honor for marilyn's public school is -- for maryland's public school. >> a trade school closes in baltimore and that leaves students in new place to learn. students in new place to learn.